|
2021 Vestry Nominees
At our Annual Meeting on January 31, we will be electing three new members to serve three year terms on the Vestry. Thank you to the following four individuals who have offered their service. I am confident that all four of them will serve us well. Please keep them all in your prayers as we discern together our 2021 Vestry.
|
|
|
Stuart Creason
My wife Alice and I have been attending St. John’s since Easter Sunday 2013, nearly eight years now, and over those eight years we have come to see St. John’s as an extended family, a group of people who have provided support and encouragement (and occasionally frustration, as all families do) in times of both happiness and sorrow. Over those eight years, one or the other of us, sometimes both, have participated in many activities and served in numerous capacities in the parish, including such activities as the Cookie Walk (both of us!), the Practicing our Faith Book Club, the Men’s Group, Christmas Baskets, the Intercessory Prayer group, Parish Dinner Groups, Greeters, and the Choir (sorry to those I’ve left out).
Several years ago, Alice served as a member of the Vestry and I served on the search committee that brought Father Jeremy to this parish as our Rector; so when Jeremy emailed me to let me know that my name had been put forward in nomination for the Vestry, it seemed like a natural next step in my (our) ongoing journey at St. John’s.
By training and vocation, I am an academic, currently an Associate Instructional Professor at the University of Chicago, where I teach ancient Hebrew and Aramaic. I’ve also (32 years ago) had seminary training; so I know something of what the internal workings of a parish are. The work of the Vestry is an extremely practical work, and at this time in the history of St. John’s, not an easy one, but it is always a work informed by our faith and trust that we are God’s people doing God’s work on this earth. If elected to serve, I will bring all my faith and knowledge and skill, such as they are, to the task and work of the parish that Alice and I have come to feel such a part of in the last eight years.
|
|
|
Anne Edwards
I am honored to run to be a member of the Vestry. This is a time of great change for the world, and for the community of St. John’s. I believe that my experience of leadership at St. John’s, along with my work experience can benefit St. John’s at this time.
I have been an active member of St. John’s since 1998 and was a member of the choir from 1998-2018. I served on the Vestry from 2011-2013 and I was Junior, then Senior Warden in 2015-2016. I am currently a member of the communications committee here. I have remained a member of St. John’s through times of change in the past and have always been heartened by the steadfast love of Christ and care that we show each other through turbulent times.
My career is all about dealing with change; I am a professor of Human Development and Family Studies, and a nationally certified Family-Life Educator. I teach how families and groups of people navigate through changes, whether changes come from members growing up and growing older, or from major historical changes, like those we are living through right now. In addition to my experience with the budget at St. John’s, I served as the Head of the Department of Behavioral Sciences at Purdue University Calumet, where I managed a budget of over $1 million during s time of fiscal uncertainty for the university.
By far, the best day of my life was when Shirley and I were married at St. Johns in 2012. Shirley Reilly is a member of St. John’s, and I have a feeling that some of you who don’t know me, definitely know Shirley!
|
|
|
Glynis Keene
I have been a member of St. John’s since moving to Homewood 16 years ago and an Episcopalian my whole life. I come from a long line of individuals who believed in and modeled service to the Church. From helping my father usher and count the offering as a little girl, to serving as an acolyte and lector during my entire youth, to attending my mother’s ECW events as a young woman, I’ve been hanging around Episcopal churches for 51 years. When I was a member of Holy Communion, Maywood I served on the Bishop’s Committee as secretary. I also was employed by Holy Communion as the director of our summer camp and afterschool programs and manager of our food pantry. I have served a term as an elected representative on Cathedral Chapter, the vestry of St. James Cathedral. At St. John’s I have come slowly to serving the parish. I have been a part of Loaves and Fishes for several years and was a member of the Search Committee. After several years of focusing my energies elsewhere and reassessing the role I want parish life to play in my life, I have decided that it is time for me to continue my family’s legacy and serve my parish in a more active way. The Church, under the leadership of Presiding Bishop Curry has an opportunity to lead our national conversation on what it means to be an active Christian and live Jesus’ mission. I think every parish is called to take up their part of that conversation. I am the Principal of Bloom Trail High School in Chicago Heights. In my spare time I like to run followed by lying on my couch reading books.
|
|
|
Mark Moxley
I grew up in a small town in Minnesota and attended Wheaton College, where I met Tracie. We moved to Homewood from Chicago in 2001 in order to be closer to family. We started attending St John’s with our new baby a few months later. Over the next five years, we had two more children and all three were baptized at St. John’s. We have remained active at St. John’s ever since we attended our first worship service. I have served on Vestry and currently Chair the Long Range Planning Committee.
During the past 10 months, I have closed a business, started a new one, and taken up making pies, calzones, and pizzas. I never imagined myself spending so much time in the kitchen. As the next 10 months unfold, we will likely see the distribution of millions of vaccines. Vestry faces many important decisions and we truly need strong leaders during this time in history. I am thankful for the many blessings that St. John’s has given to our family.
|
|
|
Mark your calendars for
JANUARY 31, 2021 @ 12:15 P.M.
|
|
|
2021 Pledge Appeal
As of today, we are only $9,867 away from having a fully funded and BALANCED budget for 2021.
As of today, 48 out of the 91 ACTIVE families at St. John the Evangelist have pledged their financial support for our work and mission in 2021. That means there are still 44 families who have not yet joined us on this journey toward Faith Filled Generosity.
If you have not yet pledged, please prayerfully consider doing so today. To pledge, either return the physical pledge card you received in the mail to the church, or go to the Stewardship page of our website and complete your pledge card online. If you would like to see a summary of St. John's Budget (current as of October 31) and to see the initial draft of our 2021 Budget please click here.
Please keep the Finance & Stewardship Committee and your Vestry in your prayers as they work to approve a balanced budget for this year.
|
|
|
|
2021 Pledge Envelopes are in and available to be picked up at the Parish Office, Monday-Thursday between 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. Please call or email the Parish Office if you need to stop by outside of these hours and we will do our best to accommodate your needs.
|
|
Upcoming Worship
Sunday, January 24
Holy Eucharist at 11:00 a.m. (Livestream)
All Masses will be live-streamed. Follow us on Facebook to receive notifications when our services are being streamed, or visit the homepage of our website to watch the service there.
|
|
|
|
|
Did you miss church this weekend? Watch last Sunday's sermon here.
|
|
|
|
Ladies of the Parish: You're Invited!
What: A Winter Afternoon Tea
When: 4:00 PM, Wednesday, January 27, 2021
Who: All Women of St. John the Evangelist Parish
Where: Virtually via Zoom
Hosted by: Daughters of the King at St. John’s
You can RSVP by clicking here.
Please be sure to RSVP to the Church Office no later than Noon on Tuesday, January 26 so we can get you the supplies and information needed to participate.
The Zoom link will be emailed and Afternoon Tea Kit distributed .
We look forward to this opportunity to gather, to chat and to share stories of grace experienced during this pandemic.
|
|
|
This Week's Lessons
Jonah 3:1-5
Psalm 62:6-14
1 Corinthians 7:29-31
Mark 1:14-20
Visit lectionarypage.net to read this week's lessons.
|
|
|
|
Collect for The Third Sunday after the Epiphany
Give us grace, O Lord, to answer readily the call of our Savior Jesus Christ and proclaim to all people the Good News of his salvation, that we and the whole world may perceive the glory of his marvelous works; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
|
|
|
In addition to online giving there is also a text option.
Text "SaintJohn" to 73256 to give using your mobile device. This number will never send unsolicited texts to you. To cancel further messages, text STOP. If you need assistance with text giving, text HELP. Standard text message and data rates may apply.
|
|
|
|
What if you had a way to give free money to the work and ministry of St. John's? Well there is!
By signing up with Scrip you can do your shopping (at most of the stores you are already shopping at) with prepaid cards and Scrip offers a percentage of what you spend back to St. John's. There is NO cost to you.
This is also a great way to purchase all those gift cards you will want to give as Christmas gifts this year.
Please go to the scrip page of our website for more information.
If you have any questions, please contact Pat Smith-Huntoon at sjescrip@gmail.com.
The next Scrip order will be submitted at 7:00 p.m. Sunday, January 31
|
|
|
Need a little midweek spiritual socialization pick-me-up? Join us for Weekly Bible Study! Thursdays at 5:00 we will gather via Zoom to continue the study of the book of Matthew.
Click here to enter Zoom for Bible Study
|
|
|
THANK YOU!!!!!
For those of you who have been keeping your pledges current and those who have given extra to support the work of St. John's, THANK YOU!
We understand that the last several weeks have been challenging for many people, so if you have found that you need to adjust your commitment to the budget of St. John's, please let Sarra in the Church Office know.
We are confident that God will see us through the challenges that lie ahead and that we will come out of this being a stronger and more faithful community because of it.
Please continue to share your generosity by mailing a check to:
St. John the Evangelist
P.O. Box 25
Flossmoor, IL 60422
Of by setting up automatic bill pay through your bank (this is a free service of most banks). Or by clicking on the "Online Giving" button below. If you give online, please consider clicking the box that allows you to add 3% to cover the processing fees from the credit card companies.
|
|
|
|
Parish Cycle of Prayer
Sue Buckman
Bob Burgwald
Betsy Elliot
Bryan Burke
Father in Heaven, this week we lift up in prayer: Sue, Bob, Betsy, and Bryan. Please bless them with an abundance of peace and an overflowing cup of joy. Bring comfort to them in their time of need and help them to seek You in all that they do. Please Lord, act as their shield from illness, both mental and physical. All this we ask in the name of your Son, Jesus Christ.
Amen
|
|
|
|
Birthdays & Anniversaries
January 23: Tom Senesac
January 27: Roman VanSwol
Heavenly Father we are so thankful for our birthday celebrants, Tom and Roman. Lord, we ask that You please bless them with another year filled with joy, contentment, good health and spiritual wealth. Please keep them safe and on the path that leads to love and life eternal.
In Jesus' name we pray.
Amen
|
|
|
|
|
|
